I Want A Drone (To Check My Gutters)

[DerbyDad03]

How little can I spend on a drone that I can use to check and see when my gutters need to be cleaned? The highest part of the house can be reached with a 28' extension ladder.

Options? Specific suggestions?

(This should be fun)

[Mike Duffy]

On Mon, 15 Aug 2016 20:11:14 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03 wrote:

> Specific suggestions?

Yeah, drag out the ladder anyway, you'll need it to retrieve the drone.

[Gordon Shumway]

Find one that will clean the inspect the gutters then, if necessary, CLEAN them too. If it works well let us know what
one you bought. ;-)

[ChairMan]

Mount one of this on a pole and inspect with your cell phone

https://www.amazon.com/Powstro-Endoscope-Waterproof-Digital-Inspection/dp/B01H5AH9ZG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471323397&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=usb+wire+camera&psc=1

[DerbyDad03]

Was that English?

[Taxed and Spent]

I think he should just stick with emoticons.

[Oren]

On Mon, 15 Aug 2016 20:11:14 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
<teama...@eznet.net> wrote:

>Options? Specific suggestions?
>
>(This should be fun)

<http://www.toptenreviews.com/electronics/toys/best-rc-drones/>

<http://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-drones,review-2412.html>

[DerbyDad03]

Perhaps you missed my "How little can I spend on a drone" opening
comment. ;-)

Why wouldn't I want something like this? (I have some reasons why I
wouldn't, but I'd like to hear from others.)

https://www.amazon.com/SYMA-Explorers-6-Axis-Quadcopter-Camera/dp/B00MNG37C2/

[Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney]

"Mike Duffy" <mqduf...@bell.net> wrote in message news:1of2whv32ncxm$.8x4btc1ec8av.dlg@40tude.net...

> On Mon, 15 Aug 2016 20:11:14 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03 wrote:
>
> > Specific suggestions?
>
> Yeah, drag out the ladder anyway, you'll need it to retrieve the drone.

LOL! Ditto to that. Neighbor kids are always coming over.... can we go in your back yard and get our "drone."

I agree it would be fun. Check out the quadcopters at the neighborhood RC hobby shop and fasten your cell camera to it? I have heard vibration can be a problem.

[DerbyDad03]

If I'm going to need a ladder to retrieve the drone, I sure don't want to
send my cell phone up with it. ;-)

[Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney]

"DerbyDad03" <teama...@eznet.net> wrote in message news:d76f56aa-4030-4482...@googlegroups.com...

Get a quadcopter for $60 and one of those $10 prepaid cell phones. Don't activate the phone - just start the video when you're ready to go and view it later. Cheap "drones" start at $500.

[Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney]

"DerbyDad03" <teama...@eznet.net> wrote in message news:5c08a26a-f091-4e8a...@googlegroups.com...

I just saw this -- Perfect for what you're doing.

[Gordon Shumway]

It was suppose to be:

Find one that will inspect the gutters then, if necessary, CLEAN them too. If it works well let us know what one you
bought. ;-)

[DerbyDad03]

Well, I guess that's just a matter of semantics.

Technically, a quadcopter *is* a drone...

Stolen without permission from:

http://quadcopterhq.com/is-a-quadcopter-a-drone/

*** Begin Stolen Text ***

Is a quadcopter a drone? Or a UAV?

Technically, yes – quadcopters are both drones and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
(UAV). But they differ significantly from what most people think of when they
hear the word drone. A drone, or an unmanned aerial vehicle (or UAS –
unmanned aerial system), is simply an aircraft without a human pilot on board
it. One could make the case that a quadcopter like the Walkera Ladybird is
hardly an “aircraft” given its small size, but technically it is. As you
move towards the larger quadcopters, such as the DJI Phantom or the
professional grade videography models, it is easier to conceive of these
quads as aircraft.

*** End Stolen Text ***

[DerbyDad03]

It's been done, but it won't work for my situation. I see how they can be
used to clean out dry leaves, but once things get wet and the tree debris
begins to turn to mush, this technique will either 1) not work at all, or
2) make a real mess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmIJt8NUosI

[Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney]

"DerbyDad03" <teama...@eznet.net> wrote in message news:50e6278b-1783-479a...@googlegroups.com...

For scoping out the roof, what about a helium balloon? Can't get much lower cost than that.

[Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney]

"DerbyDad03" <teama...@eznet.net> wrote in message news:f24b7256-d253-45c9...@googlegroups.com...

What connecting a water hose to a downspout, sealing all the others and floating the leaves out?

[Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney]

"Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney" <Snuffy-...@Livebait-McKinney.com> wrote in message news:XKmdnTnHd57PyS7K...@earthlink.com...

Or just attaching a camera to a few lengths of conduit. Although, that eliminates the justification to get a drone.... LOL

[Thomas]

Spot on. 4-5 months ago I tied a water bottle to a rope to lasso the damn thing off the roof. If you take my approach, be sure to catch it on the way down. Hard landings are not liked.

[Oren]

On Tue, 16 Aug 2016 08:14:31 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
<teama...@eznet.net> wrote:

>Perhaps you missed my "How little can I spend on a drone" opening
>comment. ;-)

Okay. A box of parts would be around three dollars?!

[DerbyDad03]

I'll just buy a rescue drone. ;-)

[DerbyDad03]

On Tuesday, August 16, 2016 at 2:20:17 PM UTC-4, Thomas wrote:

How did the drone end up needing to be lassoed?

[bob_villa]

Is this micky?

[DerbyDad03]

It won't float the solids out and if it did it would make a huge mess.

Unless you live in a heavily treed area and have to clean your gutters
2-3 times a year, you don't know how much stuff can build up in the
bottom of a gutter.

If I wait too long to clean them, the maple seeds (helicopters) will
germinate in the muck and begin to grow. Sometimes in the fall I have
to run warm water in the hose to melt the ice in the gutters before I
can clean them.

(Let's keep gutter guards out of this discussion. They are worth a thread
of their own.)

[burfordTjustice]

On Mon, 15 Aug 2016 20:11:14 -0700 (PDT)

$8/hour in front of Home Depot

[Tekkie®]

DerbyDad03 posted for all of us...

>
> How little can I spend on a drone that I can use to check and see when my gutters need to be cleaned? The highest part of the house can be reached with a 28' extension ladder.
>
> Options? Specific suggestions?
>
> (This should be fun)

Get a system like Gutter Helmut installed.

I see ads in the paper for gutter cleaning for 69 bux. I know it's a come on
but why not take advantage?

--
Tekkie

[DerbyDad03]

On Tuesday, August 16, 2016 at 4:57:51 PM UTC-4, Tekkie® wrote:
> DerbyDad03 posted for all of us...
>
>
> >
> > How little can I spend on a drone that I can use to check and see when my gutters need to be cleaned? The highest part of the house can be reached with a 28' extension ladder.
> >
> > Options? Specific suggestions?
> >
> > (This should be fun)
>
> Get a system like Gutter Helmut installed.

As I said in a later post, gutters guards deserve a thread of their own.
That is not the solution I asking about.

>
> I see ads in the paper for gutter cleaning for 69 bux. I know it's a come on
> but why not take advantage?
>

Because I am not asking about how to *clean* my gutters, I'm asking about
a method to *check* them. If you were one of those "$69 guys", would you
come *check* my gutters for free whenever I asked?

[ChairMan]

DerbyDad03 <teama...@eznet.net> wrote:
> On Tuesday, August 16, 2016 at 4:57:51 PM UTC-4, TekkieŽ

Did you even look at the Endoscope link I provided? I've got
one that's about 6 ft and have found it to be quite handy.

[TimR]

A drone is just a vehicle without a pilot. Or a driver.

What if we had a small tracked vehicle, like a mini version of a military vehicle, and just had it crawl back and forth in the gutters all the time?

It wouldn't need a lot of power to keep a mostly clean gutter completely clean.

Powering through a big clog would take some power but you'd clean them before you started, and never again.

[DerbyDad03]

Yes, I "even" looked at it. Not what I had in mind, but thanks anyway.

[DerbyDad03]

https://www.amazon.com/iRobot-330-Gutter-Cleaning-Robot/dp/B00A1590RS

Of course it has to be charged. Nothing is going to work "all the time".

[F Murtz]

On a long stick (much cheaper)

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/USB-Borescope-Endoscope-6-Led-10M-Waterproof-Inspection-Snake-Tube-Video-Camera-/252032495390?hash=item3aae4eaf1e:g:1koAAOSwd0BVrLBL

http://tinyurl.com/j5l8eeq

[Uncle Monster]

As much as I like my Aussie cousins, I'd get this one instead. ^_^

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Android-Endoscope-6-LED-Waterproof-Borescope-Inspection-HD-Camera-PC-Snake-RED-/282018483485?var=&hash=item41a99c8d1d:m:mL5BfjxZsJO8FHAp13odG6g

http://tinyurl.com/zltk3lr

[8~{} Uncle Camera Monster

[Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney]

"F Murtz" <hag...@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:57b3f10d$0$39599$b1db1813$e2fc...@news.astraweb.com...

Wow, that's a great deal if the video is decent. Have you ever used one?

[Micky]

On Tue, 16 Aug 2016 11:02:59 -0700, "Snuffy \"Hub Cap\" McKinney"
<Snuffy-...@Livebait-McKinney.com> wrote:

The quadcopter is a good idea. I'm sure that's what Dad meant when he
said drone, since a plane won't work.

>
>For scoping out the roof, what about a helium balloon? Can't get much lower cost than that.
>
>Or just attaching a camera to a few lengths of conduit. Although, that eliminates the justification to get a drone.... LOL
>

I have a 3-section pole that extends to ??18 feet? that I used to
paint the house, and I have an extendable pipe that curves over at the
top that I bought to flush out my gutters, which last summer were
overflowing for the first time since I've been here.** I taped the
pipe to the top end of the pole, taped a camera to the top of the
pipe, and stood about 4 steps up on a ladder, to video the gutters. I
used a USB camera with a 20 foot amplified USB cable, going to my
laptop.

The camera worked but it was spherical and hard to keep in place,
pointed down. Plus the pole was hard to control and didn't always
stay perfectly straight. I could surely get the camera over a
particular place but it was hard to move it slowly down the gutter to
look at all of it. Partly because I was on a ladder, but mostly
because the pole was so long.

Since then I've bought a camera that is not spherical and woudl work
much better, but I guess I've lost interest. For the front, I used
the extendable pole with the extendable pipe, and I succssfully
flushed out the front gutter, so half my incentive is gone.



**In fact when I was up there for various reasons, they never even had
leaves in them, despite all the tall trees only 20 -30 feet from the
house. But I think the cottonwood tree, part of which fell on my
yard and seemed to have some tar-like stuff in it, got in the gutter
and clogged the gutter (not the downspout).

[Micky]

On Wed, 17 Aug 2016 15:07:21 +1000, F Murtz <hag...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney wrote:.......

>>
>>
>> For scoping out the roof, what about a helium balloon? Can't get much lower cost than that.
>>
>> Or just attaching a camera to a few lengths of conduit. Although, that eliminates the justification to get a drone.... LOL
>>
>>
>
>On a long stick (much cheaper)
>
>http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/USB-Borescope-Endoscope-6-Led-10M-Waterproof-Inspection-Snake-Tube-Video-Camera-/252032495390?hash=item3aae4eaf1e:g:1koAAOSwd0BVrLBL
>
>http://tinyurl.com/j5l8eeq

That's a good price and I'm sure it has other uses too, but see my
other post (which I posted before seeing this one) about the
difficulty of controlling a 30 foot pole, plus I wonder about the
optics of this thng. I guess it has something approaching a fisheye
lens

[buzzard]

On 08/15/2016 09:11 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
> How little can I spend on a drone that I can use to check and see when my gutters need to be cleaned? The highest part of the house can be reached with a 28' extension ladder.
>
> Options? Specific suggestions?
>
> (This should be fun)
>

Remove the damned trees from your yard and you won't need yearly gutter cleaning.

[DerbyDad03]

On Wednesday, August 17, 2016 at 4:18:57 AM UTC-4, Micky wrote:
> On Tue, 16 Aug 2016 11:02:59 -0700, "Snuffy \"Hub Cap\" McKinney"
> <Snuffy-...@Livebait-McKinney.com> wrote:
>
> The quadcopter is a good idea. I'm sure that's what Dad meant when he
> said drone, since a plane won't work.

A quadcopter is a drone. I posted the definition earlier in this thread.

[Uncle Monster]

Buzzard! Is that you?! Where the frak you been man? I don't see you posting in your group or anywhere else anymore. How's things going? o_O

[8~{} Uncle Curious Monster

[Thomas]

On Tuesday, August 16, 2016 at 3:12:09 PM UTC-4, DerbyDad03 wrote:
> > How did the drone end up needing to be lassoed?

I can't fly for shit. I'm pretty sure the drone could not handle bright sunlight. Maybe I had a line-of-sight drone? No idea really.

I bought my first rc plane a few years ago. The shop owner asked if I was advanced enough to fly this model. Of course I am. How hard could it be?
10 seconds in the air and 300 bucks down the drain. WOW.

[DerbyDad03]

You were either very good or very lucky to get the plane to fly down the
drain. Either way, I'm impressed.

[Don Wiss]

On Tue, 16 Aug 2016, DerbyDad03 <teama...@eznet.net> wrote:

>https://www.amazon.com/SYMA-Explorers-6-Axis-Quadcopter-Camera/dp/B00MNG37C2/

The problem I see with it, which may not be a problem for you, is it
records onto a memory card, instead of being able to view in real time. You
land the drone. Retrieve the memory card and view. But you will have a
problem knowing just where what you see is along the gutter.

Don. www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

[DerbyDad03]

On Wednesday, August 17, 2016 at 8:02:17 PM UTC-4, Don Wiss wrote:
> On Tue, 16 Aug 2016, DerbyDad03 <teama...@eznet.net> wrote:
>
> >https://www.amazon.com/SYMA-Explorers-6-Axis-Quadcopter-Camera/dp/B00MNG37C2/
>
> The problem I see with it, which may not be a problem for you, is it
> records onto a memory card, instead of being able to view in real time. You
> land the drone. Retrieve the memory card and view. But you will have a
> problem knowing just where what you see is along the gutter.
>

While it's not critical to know exactly where the debris is, I don't think
it would be all that hard to tell. Odds are the image will include some
of the surroundings (a bush here, a driveway there, the deck, etc.) that
will narrow it down.

However, in general, the main goal is to check the downspouts, of which
there are 5. If any of them need to be cleaned, the ladder is coming out
anyway. Once I'm up there, the condition of the rest of the gutters can
be assessed.

Someone else suggested this unit for about $20 more. Extra batteries and
real time transmission to a smart phone (I think...I haven't looked at it
in any detail, I just found out about it a few minutes ago)

https://www.amazon.com/X5SW-Channel-Controlled-Quadcopter-Transmission/dp/B00Y2GGB8I

[Don Wiss]

On Wed, 17 Aug 2016, DerbyDad03 <teama...@eznet.net> wrote:

>https://www.amazon.com/X5SW-Channel-Controlled-Quadcopter-Transmission/dp/B00Y2GGB8I

Headless is a real nice feature to have. And, of course, this one wipes
away my complaint. Avoid the cheaper sellers along the right. They are all
shipping from outside the US.

[Tekkie®]

DerbyDad03 posted for all of us...


>
> On Tuesday, August 16, 2016 at 4:57:51 PM UTC-4, Tekkie® wrote:
> > DerbyDad03 posted for all of us...
> >
> >
> > >
> > > How little can I spend on a drone that I can use to check and see when my gutters need to be cleaned? The highest part of the house can be reached with a 28' extension ladder.
> > >
> > > Options? Specific suggestions?
> > >
> > > (This should be fun)
> >
> > Get a system like Gutter Helmut installed.
>
> As I said in a later post, gutters guards deserve a thread of their own.
> That is not the solution I asking about.
>

Yes, later than my post therefore you can't call the shots...

> >
> > I see ads in the paper for gutter cleaning for 69 bux. I know it's a come on
> > but why not take advantage?
> >
>
> Because I am not asking about how to *clean* my gutters, I'm asking about
> a method to *check* them. If you were one of those "$69 guys", would you
> come *check* my gutters for free whenever I asked?

No. I already have a wife to tell me what I am doing wrong.

Get your ass on a ladder and check them. What's the problem? You want to
spend big bux to check them and what if you find something? You going to
spend more money to fix them? What is your plan of attack here? Clean them
first so you find the problems or find problems that hidden by not cleaning
them? Later on you opine about the downspouts. You going to fly your toy
down the spout? You can check them simply by getting your ass and hose on
the ladder. What is the real result you are looking for in this evolution?

Why do you always attack the posters that are trying to help you?

--
Tekkie

[21bla...@gmail.com]

invest in a tall ladder?

marc

[Don Wiss]

On Fri, 19 Aug 2016 15:59:45 -0700 (PDT), 21bla...@gmail.com wrote:

>invest in a tall ladder?

They cost more than a drone.

[DerbyDad03]

On Friday, August 19, 2016 at 5:26:10 PM UTC-4, Tekkie® wrote:
> DerbyDad03 posted for all of us...
>
>
> >
> > On Tuesday, August 16, 2016 at 4:57:51 PM UTC-4, Tekkie® wrote:
> > > DerbyDad03 posted for all of us...
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> > > > How little can I spend on a drone that I can use to check and see when my gutters need to be cleaned? The highest part of the house can be reached with a 28' extension ladder.
> > > >
> > > > Options? Specific suggestions?
> > > >
> > > > (This should be fun)
> > >
> > > Get a system like Gutter Helmut installed.
> >
> > As I said in a later post, gutters guards deserve a thread of their own.
> > That is not the solution I asking about.
> >
>
> Yes, later than my post therefore you can't call the shots...

Later than my OP, which is the post your responded to, but *not* later than your response.

My post regarding gutter guards appears before yours in the thread.

>
> > >
> > > I see ads in the paper for gutter cleaning for 69 bux. I know it's a come on
> > > but why not take advantage?
> > >
> >
> > Because I am not asking about how to *clean* my gutters, I'm asking about
> > a method to *check* them. If you were one of those "$69 guys", would you
> > come *check* my gutters for free whenever I asked?
>
> No. I already have a wife to tell me what I am doing wrong.
>
> Get your ass on a ladder and check them. What's the problem? You want to
> spend big bux to check them and what if you find something? You going to
> spend more money to fix them? What is your plan of attack here? Clean them
> first so you find the problems or find problems that hidden by not cleaning
> them? Later on you opine about the downspouts. You going to fly your toy
> down the spout? You can check them simply by getting your ass and hose on
> the ladder. What is the real result you are looking for in this evolution?

Do you even read the things that people post? Why is it so hard for you to
understand this simple concept?

Let's try this again...

I asked about an inexpensive drone to use as a visual check to see if my
gutters need cleaning. I already get "my ass" on the ladder at least three times
a year to clean them. Sometimes I clean them before they really need them
because I've already pull out the ladder to check them and I might as well
remove what's up there as long as I got the ladder out. However, that usually
means an extra cleaning because I cleaned them "too early".

I don't know what you consider "big bux" but I don't think that $40-$60 is an
unreasonable amount for a method to do a quick visual inspection instead of
pulling out a 28' extension ladder and climbing to the top of a 2 1/2 story house,
front and back. Get the ladder from the under the deck, fully extend it, climb up,
down, lower the ladder, carry it to the front of the house fully extend it, up, down,
carry it back to the deck and store it. A $60 drone sure sounds easier and a lot
more fun. The older I get, the more I want find easier ways to accomplish a task.

I have no clue why you even mention spending money to clean them. You brought
paying to have them cleaned, not me.

Your comment about "flying the drone down the downspout" shows your complete
misunderstanding of the concept of "checking them". Debris often floats along the
gutter and gets hung up at the end, blocking the opening of the downspout and
causing the water to back up and even overflow during heavy rain. A drone would
allow me to check the gutters *at* the downspout to see if it's time to get out the
ladder, the bucket, the hose, etc.

I don't know how many trees you have at your house or what they do to your to
your gutters, but mine sometimes get filled to the top 3 or more times a year. If I
don't clean them in time, they overflow and wash mulch away, etc. A drone would
be a simple way to keep a closer eye on their condition. It really is as simple as
this: Fly a drone instead of using a ladder...plus I have a drone to play with.

[Don Wiss]

On Fri, 19 Aug 2016, DerbyDad03 <teama...@eznet.net> wrote:

>...plus I have a drone to play with.

Absolutely. That is reason enough to buy a drone. We got up to $64.35,
which is not an expensive toy for a man.

[DerbyDad03]

I've already got a ladder. That's what I use to check and clean the gutters. I'm looking for
easy way to check them without have to pull out the 28' extension and climbing to the top
of the house.

[DerbyDad03]

On Monday, August 15, 2016 at 11:11:18 PM UTC-4, DerbyDad03 wrote:
> How little can I spend on a drone that I can use to check and see when my gutters need to be cleaned? The highest part of the house can be reached with a 28' extension ladder.
>
> Options? Specific suggestions?
>
> (This should be fun)

The (adult) kids got me one for Christmas!

We're traveling for the holidays but when I get home I'm gonna charge her up and
let her fly.